Hope vs. Faith....

I have always wondered about the difference between the two.

Hope is defined as (just briefly looked up some definitions from the web):

• a specific instance of feeling hopeful; "it revived their hope of winning the pennant"
• the general feeling that some desire will be fulfilled; "in spite of his troubles he never gave up hope"
• promise: grounds for feeling hopeful about the future; "there is little or no promise that he will recover"
• expect and wish; "I trust you will behave better from now on"; "I hope she understands that she cannot expect a raise"
• someone (or something) on which expectations are centered; "he was their best hope for a victory"
• be optimistic; be full of hope; have hopes; "I am still hoping that all will turn out well"
• intend with some possibility of fulfilment; "I hope to have finished this work by tomorrow evening"
• one of the three Christian virtues

Faith is defined as:

• religion: a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny; "he lost his faith but not his morality"
• complete confidence in a person or plan etc; "he cherished the faith of a good woman"; "the doctor-patient relationship is based on trust"
• religion: an institution to express belief in a divine power; "he was raised in the Baptist religion"; "a member of his own faith contradicted him"
• loyalty or allegiance to a cause or a person; "keep the faith"; "they broke faith with their investors"

I think I have always had hope -- hope that our support will be raised, hope that God would send us quickly, hope that our home would sell quickly, etc...
But I think faith is what I have been lacking for when trials and struggles come or when things don't go as I think they should, I am quick to cry and get angry, and complain. Faith is more than just trusting, it is a complete and utter reliance on the creator of this world, the One who has given me salvation. It is complete trust even when things don't go as I had "hoped" or planned knowing that His ways are higher than mine for He created me and knows my inmost thoughts and what I need the most. It is knowing and having confidence that He has called us and will bring it to pass when His timing is right. It is knowing that if I could see things as God, then I would request everything that He is allowing to happen, if only to grow my faith :)
I know many of you have heard this analogy before but it is one that is good to hear again for reminding us of the beauty that God creates in each of our lives.
God is the designer of our lives, he is creating, and weaving, and designing the beautiful tapestry that He wants for our lives. Now, what happens when you look at the underside of a quilt or a piece of tapestry - it is not that pretty. It has threads out of place, and looks like a jumbled mess from the underside but when you turn it over or see it as the designer has intended, it is beautiful with every perfect piece in place.
Even though I struggle and fail, I pray that my life is a beautiful tapestry that God can use to bring glory to Himself and make His name known so it is my prayer that when these difficulties come, that my faith may be strengthened and His glory be revealed!!